According to Matt Riddle, he was supposed to have a career year in 2022.
WWE released Matt Riddle in September 2023. During his time with the company, he held the United States Championship and the RAW Tag Team Championship. “The King of Bros” has since returned to the wrestling world. He competed at MLW Kings of Colosseum, and he is set to compete at multiple NJPW shows in the coming weeks.
During a virtual signing with Signed By Superstars, Matt Riddle reflected on his WWE run. In one highlight, he claimed he was supposed to win the Money in the Bank Ladder match in 2022. (H/t Andrew Thompson of POST Wrestling for the transcription)
“Wanna hear something else cool? I was supposed to win Money in the Bank but Vince (McMahon) really likes Austin Theory and literally hours before, they changed it and Austin was added in and threw me off the ladder,” Matt Riddle said. “After I took two huge ladder bumps off the RKO and everything else and it’s like… But, I love Austin Theory and I’m happy for him. Keep killing it bro.”
Matt Riddle: I Was Told I Was Going To Win The Royal Rumble
During the signing, Matt Riddle also said he believes he was told he was going to win the 2022 Men’s Royal Rumble match. He stated that Brock Lesnar “did not want to do business”, and no one stood up to him.
“So I believe — you know, it’s sports-entertainment — that I was told at one point, yeah, I was gonna win the (Royal) Rumble and everything else and then what was it?” Riddle said. “Bobby Lashley beat Brock Lesnar because somebody came in and hit him with the belt or what have you.
“Then Brock came in, didn’t wanna do business with everybody, said he was winning, and then he won, and then none of the producers… nobody stood up to him and they let him do it. I didn’t either, I didn’t either. I’m like, f*ck man, I’m just here.”
Check out Matt Riddle’s comments about his WWE release here.